On The Trophy Room podcast, Layden was asked whether the gaming industry overestimates auteurs with a distinct personal style. As examples, host Joe Moran named Metal Gear and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima, BioShock creator Ken Levine, The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann, and Todd Howard, known for The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.
Layden disagreed with that assessment.
Listen, there was only one Rembrandt, right? There was only one Martin Scorsese. The so-called auteurs built this industry.
According to the former PlayStation executive, greatness often requires megalomania.
Unfortunately, I think more often than not it takes a megalomaniac to achieve greatness. It just does. Out of that chaotic genius comes the games that we always remember.
Layden also admitted:
I’ve never seen a good game designed by a committee. I’ve seen plenty of bad games made by a committee, but I won’t name them here.
Reflecting on his time at PlayStation, Layden noted that the goals of executives and game creators were aligned: to make a great project. His own task as chairman of Worldwide Studios was to clear roadblocks and draw the attention of management so that teams could focus on development. In this way, he sought to protect creators from unnecessary interference.